Last Friday (April 14), Kelly Clarkson upped anticipation for her first non-Christmas album in nearly six years with new singles "Mine" and "Me." "Mine" is a deeply personal song inspired by Clarkson's June 2022 divorce from Brandon Blackstock, while soulful ballad "Me" flavors lyrics started by "ABCDEFU" singer Gayle with references to the original American Idol's private life.
Videos by Wide Open Country
"Mine" got a promotional push on its official release's eve with a stirring live performance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. It's marked by a key change that switches gears from sophisticated pop to pop-punk, which Clarkson credits to her love of Green Day.
"The verses sound like this really sad secret, and it's very quiet," she said in an Instagram Live video. "Then it explodes into this, not even lead vocal. Those gang vocals, that's how I was feeling emotionally."
As for the lyrics, they drip with righteous indignation that should be relatable to anyone coping with a breakup.
"I hope one day someone will take your heart and hold it tight / Make you feel like you're invincible deep inside," Clarkson sings. "And right when you think that you'll try again, they cross a line / And steal your shine like you did mine."
After a moving rendition on her talk show, Clarkson put over the cathartic benefits of sharing a peek into her private life.
"It was just a different vibe for me overall, so I was very excited about it," she shared. "Obviously I was also just very angry and sad. But anyway, I did, I let it out and I feel great now."
The similarly-titled singles should puzzle piece into the broader theme of Chemistry (out June 23).
"This album is definitely the arc of an entire relationship," she said (as quoted by Today). "And a whole relationship shouldn't be just brought down to one thing. So there's the good, the bad and the ugly kind of thing going on in it."
